Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed the reappointment of Jennifer Stoddart as Privacy Commissioner of Canada for a three-year term. The reappointment, which was recently approved by the Senate and the House of Commons, is effective immediately. Ms Stoddart has been serving as the Privacy Commissioner of Canada since December 2003.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner was created in 1977 under the Canadian Human Rights Act, Part IV. The Privacy Act, which currently governs the functions of the Privacy Commission, was adopted in 1983.

As an Agent of Parliament, the Privacy Commissioner oversees compliance with both the Privacy Act, which covers the personal information-handling practices of federal government departments and agencies, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Canada's private sector privacy law. The mission of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals.